Heddle frames



1956 A. s. GALAHER ETAL 2,

HEDDLE FRAMES Filed Nov. 17. 1954 X XXX kmn A560 a; J 22%22? Jam eys ZZ'I'/Zfia/m ATTORNEY hired HEDDLE FRAMES Application November 17, 1954, Serial No. 469,528

8 Claims. (Cl. 13992) This invention relates to heddle frames for looms, and it relates more particularly to improved means in such frames for supporting the heddle bars intermediate the ends thereof.

Heretofore various means have been employed to support the heddle bars of loom harness frames intermediate their ends, to prevent the displacement of said rods and damage thereto when subjected to the stresses and strains incident to the operation of the loom.

One of the most common forms of such devices comprises hook members, or screw eyes, which are fixedly mounted in the top and bottom rails of the heddle frames at various places along the length thereof. However, 1n the use of fixedly located hook members or screw eyes, the heddles are not permitted the required freedom of movement upon the heddle bars, which frequently results in warp streaks and other defects of the weave.

By reason of the foregoing, recourse has been had to the so-called slide hooks, comprising supporting members slidably mounted on additional or auxiliary rods carried by the top and bottom rails or shafts of the frame adjacent the inner edges thereof. The present invention relates to a novel form of such slide hooks having pronounced advantages over the slide hooks heretofore used.

One of the principal difficulties encountered in the use of slide hooks of the character aforesaid arises out of the wear caused by the movement of the slide books on the auxiliary bars. By reason of the relatively thin metal, of which such slide hooks have heretofore been made, ordinarily very small bearing surfaces are provided at the places where they engage the auxiliary rods, and even where such slide hooks are so shaped as to provide additional bearing surfaces, nevertheless, the parts soon Wear at various points an amount suflicient to become a source of danger as the shedding takes place in the loom.

Another difficulty encountered in the use of the slide hooks of the character aforesaid was the tendency of some of them to cock and bind on the supporting rods, and on the heddle bars, which also results in defects in the weave by reason of the lack of freedom of movement of the heddles on the heddle rods.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide, in a loom heddle frame, slide hooks of a novel form which are so constructed and arranged that there will be no tendency of the same to grip or bind and thereby cause the slide members to be held at fixed locations on the auxiliary rods on which they are mounted.

A further object of the invention is to provide slide hooks of the character aforesaid which may be inexpensively made, and which will not only provide relatively large bearing surfaceswhere the same are mounted on the auxiliary rods, but which will also be freely movable substantially without friction. which would tend to retard the movement thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide slide hooks of the character aforesaid, in the use of which wear of the various parts will be reduced to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a slide hook of the character aforesaid, the bearing portions of fates Patent Patented Dec. 18, 1956 which are made of moldable plastic such as nylon, but in which provision is made to eliminate the breakage of such slide hooks, which frequently occurs when the same are made entirely of such moldable plastic.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereon, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational vew of a loom heddle frame having mounted therein heddle bar supporting devices embodying the main features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the slide hooks of the present invention, detached and enlarged;

Filg. 3 is a vertical section, taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2, a portion of an auxiliary supporting rod and a portion of a heddle rod being shown in operative relation with respect thereto;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a metallic reinforcing member constituting a portion of the slide hook of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of one of said slide hooks detached.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawing herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure and arrangement shown without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, the heddle frame there illustrated consists of top and bottom rails or shafts 19 connected at their ends by means of side struts 11. Extending from end to end of the heddle frame, and disposed near the top and bottom rails 10 thereof in the usual manner, are heddle bars 12 upon which the heddles 13 of any preferred type or style are mounted.

The end portions of the heddle bars 12 may be mounted in the side struts 11 of the frame, and may be secured in place in the usual manner by the spring members 14. However, any other preferred means for supporting and securing the ends of the heddle bars may be employed if desired.

The heddle frame is also provided with auxiliary supporting rods 15, each of said rods preferably being of the usual non-circular cross-section. The auxiliary supporting rods 15 may be supported in the frame adjacent the inner edges of the rails or shafts 10 by means of screw eyes 16, mounted in said top and bottom rails 10 at desired locations along the inner edge thereof, but of course, here again, it should be understood the auxiliary rods 15 may be mounted in the heddle frame in any other preferred manner.

Upon the auxiliary rods 15 there are mounted slidable supporting members 17 the construction and arrangement of which constitutes the principal novel part of the present invention. It should, of course, be understood that a number of said slidable members 17 are provided on each of the auxiliary rods 15 being disposed at suitable spaced locations, the number employed in each instance depending upon the particular conditions, such as the length of the frame, and the strains imparted by the warp when the shedding takes place.

The preferred form of slidable member 17 of the present invention is shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 2 to 6 of the drawing. The same are each preferably made of a molded plastic, such as nylon or the like, and each includes a horizontal sleeve like portion 18 internally shaped as at 19 complemental to the shape in crosssection of the auxiliary rod 15 upon which it is mounted.

Extending from the horizontal sleeve portion 18- is a vertically extending portion 243- suita-bl'y recessed in any 3- a preferred manner as, for example, at 21 for the reception of theheddle bar 12 whereby said heddle bar 12, when seated in said recess 21, will be held against distortion or displacement in the frame.

Mounted within the vertical portion 20 and extending into the sleeve portion 18 is a reinforcing member. 22 which is preferably made by being punched of the desiredshape from sheet steel or the like. The outline of the reinforcingmember 22 is similar to, but smaller than, the outline of the vertically extending portion 29 whereby a relatively thick layer or coating of nylon, or other plastic material from which the'slide hook is made, will cover theedges and side faces of the reinforcing member 22, and all the bearing surfaces will be of the plastic.

7 The reinforcing member 22 is provided with at least a two apertures 23 suitably spaced from each other whereby the member 22 may be properly positioned'during the molding of the slide hook, by means of projecting pins in the mold (not shown), which may have shoulders thereon for insuring the proper central location of the reinforcing member within the body of the vertically extending portion thereof. The reinforcing member 22 may, if desired, be hardened for additional strength.

It will be noted that by the foregoing construction and arrangement there is provided a slide hook for loom harness frames, all of the bearing portions of which are made of moldable plastic material, such as nylon, which has been found to be more freely slidable upon the supporting rod than the metallic slide hooks heretofore used, and in the use of which a considerable reduction of Wear occurs, not only on the supporting rod, but also on the heddle bar where the same is mounted in the vertically extending portion 20 of the device; I

The wear on the bearing portions of the slidable, members will be found to be quite small by reason "of the peculiar properties of the material such as nylon, but also the slidable members made as aforesaid will be more 7 freely movable and will not bind on the auxiliary rods,

portion shaped for sidewise movement in the frame, and

a vertically extending portion having a recess Within able plastic material and each comprising a horizontal and bottom rails' adjacent the inner edges thereof,and

slidable members mounted'on the auxiliary supporting rods for supporting the heddle bars intermediate their ends, said slidable members being made of moldable plastic material and each comprisinga horizontal sleeve like portion internally shaped complemental to the auxiliary supporting rod upon which it is mounted, anda vertically extending portion having a recess within which theheddle'bar is positioned, and an internal reinforcing member within said vertically extending portion. 7

6. In a heddle frame for looms comprising top andbot tom rails, heddle bars upon which the heddles are mounted, auxiliary supporting rods carried by the top and v bottomrails adjacent the inner edges thereof, and slidable; members mounted on the auxiliary supporting 'rods for supporting the heddle bars intermediate their ends, said slidable members being made of moldable plastic material and each comprising a horizontal sleeve like portion internally shaped complemental to the auxiliary supporting rod upon which it .is mounted, and a vertically extending a portion having a recess within which the heddle bar is positioned, and aninternalrmetallic reinforcing member disposed entirely within saidvertically extending portion.

7. In a heddle frame for looms comprising top and bet tom rails, heddle bars upon which the heddles are I mounted, auxiliary supporting rodscarried by thetop and ternally shaped complemental to the auxiliary supporting.

which the heddle bar is positioned, and an internal rein-' forcing member within said vertically extending portion.

2. In a heddle frame for looms having slidable members therein for supporting theheddle bars intermediate their ends, said slidable members being made of moldable plasti material and each comprising a horizontal portion shaped for sidewise movement in the frame, and a vertically extending portion having a recess within which the heddle bar is positioned, and'a' metallic reinforcingimember.disposed'entirely within said vertically tallic reinforcing'member similar in outline but smaller than said vertically extending portion, the edges and side faces of said reinforcing member being covered by the plastic material of which the other portions are formed whereby the bearing portions of' said slidable members are of said plastic material. 7 n

4. In a heddle frame for looms having slidable members thereinfor supporting the heddle barsintermediate their ends, said'slidable members being made of mold rial.

rod upon which it'is mounted, and a vertically extending portion having a. recess within which the heddle bar is positioned, and an internal metallic reinforcing member similar in outline but smaller than said vertically extending portion, the edges and side faces of said reinforcing member being covered by the plastic material of which the .otherportions are formed whereby the bearing po tions of said slidable members are of said plastic mate 8. In a heddle frame for looms comprising top and bottom rails, heddle bars upon' which the heddles are mounted, auxiliary supporting rods carried by the top and bottom rails adjacent the inner edges thereof, and slidable members mounted on theauxiliary supporting rods for supporting the heddle bars intermedite their ends, said slidable members being made of moldable plasticmaterial and each comprising a horizontal sleeve like portion internally shaped complemental to the auxiliary supporting rod upon which it is mounted, and a vertically extending portion having a recess within which the heddle bar is positioned, and an internal metallic reinforcing member Within said vertically extending portion the edges and side faces of which are covered by the plastic material of which the other portions are formed whereby thebearing por-- tions of said slidable members are of said plastic material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,206,844 Kaufmann July '2, 1940 2,252,183 Kaufmann Aug. 12, 1941 2,634,763 Consoletti Apr. 14, 1953 

